DEBBIE ALLEN. Born 16 January 1950 in Houston, Texas, U.S. Educated Howard University, Washington, D.C., BFA (with Honors), 1971; studied with Ballet Nacional and Ballet Folklorico (Mexico); Houston Ballet Foundation, Houston Texas; New York School of Ballet. Married (1) Wim Wilford (divorced); (2) Norm Nixon; children: Vivian Nicole, Norm, Jr. Began career as dancer with George Faison Universal Dance Experience; AMAS Repertory Theatre; taught dance, Duke Ellington School of Performing Arts; in television as actor from 1973; actor/producer/director/coreographer of various television shows, miniseries, and specials. Recipient: 3 Emmy Awards, 1 Golden Globe Award for Choreography, Fame, the television series; Ford Foundation Grant; Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame Clarence Muse Youth Award, 1978; Drama Desk Award, 1979; Out Critics Circle Award (West Side Story), 1980.

TELEVISION SERIES

1977 3 Girls 3
1982 Fame
1987 Bronx Zoo (director)
1987-93 A Different World (producer/director)
1990-96 Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (director)
1990 Quantum Leap (also director)
1995 In the House (also director)

MADE-FOR-TELEVISION MOVIES
1977 The Greatest Thing That Almost Happened
1980 Ebony, Ivory and Jade
1983 Women of San Quentin
1989 Polly (director)
1990 Polly - Comin' Home!
1992 Stompin' at the Savoy

TELEVISION MINISERIES

1979 Roots: The Next Generations
1984 Celebrity

TELEVISION SPECIALS

Choreographer 1982, 91-95 The Academy Awards
1983 The Kids from Fame
1989 The Debbie Allen Special (co-writer, producer, director, choreographer)
1992 Stompin' at the Savoy (director)

FILM

The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (1979); Ragtime (1981); Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986); Mona Must Die (1994); Blank Check (1994); Forget Paris (Choreographer) (1995); Out-of-Sync (1995) (Director).

STAGE

Purlie (1971); Ti-Jean and His Brothers (1972); Raisin (1973); Ain't Misbehavin' (1978); The Illusion and Holiday (1979); West Side Story (1980); Louis (1981); The Song is Kern! (1981); Parade of Stars at the Palace (1983); Sweet Charity (1986). Carrie (1988)

Debbie Allen began her show business career on Broadway in the 1970s. Her debut in the chorus of Purlie and her performance in A Raisin In the Sun were noted by stage critics, and in a 1979 production of West Side Story her performance as Anita earned her a Tony Award nomination and a Drama Desk Award. Allen later returned to Broadway as a star, and garnered her second Tony nomination, with a 1986-87 performance in Sweet Charity. In 1988, she choreographed Carrie, a newly composed American musical, with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Allen's stage presence and choreography quickly moved her from the Broadway stage to the larger venue of television. Throughout the 1970s she made guest appearances on popular programs such as Good Times, The Love Boat and The Jim Stafford Show. Her roles in the miniseries Roots: The Next Generation and the special, Ben Vereen--His Roots, allowed her to work with some of the most prominent African American performers in show business and to demonstrate her dramatic and comedic acting range. She also appeared in the short-lived 1977 NBC series 3 girls 3. Her latest television role was in the NBC situation comedy, In the House. In this series, which first aired in April 1995, Allen played a newly divorced mother of two who shares her house with a former football star, played by rap artist L.L. Cool J.

In the early 1980s, a portrayal of the dance instructor, Lydia Grant, on the hit series Fame brought the name Debbie Allen to international prominence. Although the NBC show was canceled after one season, the program went on to first-run syndication for four more years. Its popularity in the United Kingdom prompted a special cast tour in England and spurred a "Famemania" fan phenomena.

Allen's success as a dancer and actress allowed her to move behind the camera to direct and produce. While still a cast member of Fame she became the first African American woman hired by a television network as a director in prime time. In 1989, after directing episodes of Fame, she co-wrote, produced, directed, choreographed and starred in The Debbie Allen Special for ABC. She received two Emmy nominations, for direction and choreography of this variety show.

In 1988, Allen solidified her reputation as a television director and producer by turning a flawed television series, A Different World, into a long running popular program. Under her leadership the program addressed political issues such as apartheid, date rape, the war in the Persian Gulf, economic discrimination, and the 1992 Los Angeles riot. The highest rated episode focused on sexual maturity and AIDS and guest starred Whoopi Goldberg, who was nominated for an Emmy award. Allen was awarded the first Responsibility in Television award from the LA Film Teachers Association for consistently representing important social issues on A Different World.

In 1989, Allen made her debut as a director of made-for-television movies with a remake of the 1960 film, Pollyanna. The telefilm, titled Polly, starred two players from The Cosby Show, Phylicia Rashad and Keshia Knight Pullman. Set in 1955, Polly is a musical tale of an orphan who brings happiness to a tyrannical aunt and a small Alabama town. The film was produced by Disney and NBC. Television critics hailed the display of Allen's keen sense of innovative camera work, stemming from her ability to choreograph. The film is also notable for its all Black cast and for succeeding in a genre, the musical film, rarely popular on television. Allen followed Polly with a sequel which aired in November 1990.

In 1990-91, Allen directed the pilot and debut episode of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, a series which currently enjoys high ratings on NBC. Also in 1990-91, she directed a highly rated episode of Quantum Leap in which she co-starred. In October 1991, Allen received her star on the Hollywood walk of Fame for her achievements in television. In 1992, Allen directed Stompin' at the Savoy for the CBS network. This program included a cast of prominent performers from the African American community: Lynn Whitfield, Vanessa Williams, Jasmine Guy, Vanessa Bell Calloway and Mario Van Peebles.

Complementing Allen's versatility as a television actor is a repertoire of critically acclaimed film roles. In 1986 she played Richard Pryor's feisty wife in his semi-autobiographical film Jo-Jo Dancer Your Life Is Calling and she co-starred with Howard E. Rollins and James Cagney in Milos Foreman's Ragtime in 1981. Allen's debut as a feature film director will be the upcoming film Out of Sync starring LL Cool J, Victoria Dillard, and Yaphet Kotto.

Presently, Allen is one of the few African American women working as a director and producer in television and film. Her success in TV and film production has not deterred her from her love of dance and she continues to dazzle television viewers with her choreography. In 1982, she choreographed the dance numbers for the Academy Awards and for the past consecutive five years, her unique style of choreography has been featured on the worldwide broadcast of the Award ceremony. For over twenty years, Allen's contributions to television, on the three major networks and in syndicated programming, have highlighted the maturity of a performer and artistic producer with an impressive spectrum of talents in the performing arts.

-Marla Shelton